Libertine novel explained

The libertine novel was an 18th-century literary genre of which the roots lay in the European but mainly French libertine tradition. The genre effectively ended with the French Revolution. Themes of libertine novels were anti-clericalism, anti-establishment and eroticism.

Authors include Cyrano de Bergerac (L’Autre monde ou les états et empires de la Lune, 1657), ^[1] Claude Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon (Les Égarements du cœur et de l'esprit, 1736; Le Sopha, conte moral, 1742), Denis Diderot (Les bijoux indiscrets, 1748), Marquis de Sade (L'Histoire de Juliette, 1797–1801), Choderlos de Laclos (Les Liaisons dangereuses, 1782).

Other famous titles are Histoire de Dom Bougre, Portier des Chartreux (1741) and Thérèse Philosophe (1748).

Precursors to the libertine writers were Théophile de Viau (1590-1626) and Charles de Saint-Evremond (1610-1703), who were inspired by Epicurus and the publication of Petronius, and John Wilmot (Sodom, or the Quintessence of Debauchery, 1684)..

Robert Darnton is a cultural historian who has covered this genre extensively.

English translations

In alphabetical order by author's last name:

• Book: Argens, Marquis d’. Jean-Baptiste de Boyer%2C Marquis d'Argens. Thérèse Finds Happiness (aka Therese The Philosopher). New Urge Editions/Black Scat Books . 2020. 9781734816631.
• Book: Choderlos de Laclos, Pierre . Les Liaisons dangereuses. Oxford World's Classics . 2008. 9780199536481.
• Book: Chorier , Nicholas . Nicolas_Chorier. School of Women (aka: The Academy of Ladies). New Urge Editions/Black Scat Books . 2020. 9781734816686.
• Book: Crebillon, Claude-Prosper Jolyot de. Claude_Prosper_Jolyot_de_Crébillon. The Wanderings of the Heart and Mind. Gallimard . 1981. 9782070368914.
• Book: Declose, Anne . The Story of O. Balantine Books . 2013. B00BRUQ7O0.
• Book: Diderot , Denis . Denis_Diderot. From Their Lips to His Ear (aka: The Indiscreet Toys). New Urge Editions/Black Scat Books . 2020. 9781735615912.
• Book: Diderot, Denis . The Indiscreet Jewels. Marsilio Publishers . 1993. 9780941419833.
• Book: Ewing, Frederick R.. I, Libertine. Ballantine Books. 1956. 9781480410107.
• Book: La Morlière, Jacques Rochette de. Jacques Rochette de La Morlière. A Coming of Age (Part One of "The Ecclesiastical Laurels"). New Urge Editions/Black Scat Books . 2020. 9781734816679.
• Book: La Morlière, Jacques Rochette de. Jacques Rochette de La Morlière. Ecclesiastical Laurels: or Abbot T***'s Campaigns with the Triumph of the Nuns. Sunny Lou Publishing . 2020. 9781735477657.
• Book: Meusnier de Querlon, Anne-Gabriel. Anne-Gabriel_Meusnier_de_Querlon. Don't Touch (aka: The Carmelite Extern Nun). New Urge Editions/Black Scat Books . 2020. 9781734816662.
• Book: Restif de la Bretonne. Nicolas Restif de la Bretonne. Foot Notes (first 10 chapters of Fanchette's Foot). New Urge Editions/Black Scat Books . 2020. 9781735615929.
• Book: Sade, Marquis de . . Grove Press . 1994. 9780802130853.
• Book: Sade, Marquis de . Justine, or the Misfortunes of Virtue. Oxford University Press . 2013. 9780199572847.

Further reading

In alphabetical order by last name:

• Book: DeJean, Joan. Libertine Strategies: Freedom and the Novel in Seventeenth-Century France. Ohio State University Press. 1981. 9780814203255.
• Book: Hölzle , Dominique . Le Roman libertin au XVIIIe siècle: une esthétique de la séduction . The Libertine Novel of the 18th Century: An Esthetic of Seduction. Oxford University Press. 2012. fr. 9780729410458.
• Book: Lachèvre, Frédéric . Frédéric Lachèvre. 1921. Les Œuvres libertines de Cyrano de Bergerac, Parisien (1619–1655), précédées d'une notice biographique. Tome premier. The Libertine Works of Cyrano de Bergerac, Parisian (1619–1655), preceded by a biographical notice. Volume one. 5 April 2015. fr. Paris. Librairie ancienne Honoré Champion. Lachevre1921I.
• Book: Miletic, Tijana . European Literary Immigration Into the French Language: Readings of Gary, Kristof, Kundera and Semprun . Brill-Rodopi . 2008 . 196–197. 9789042024007.
• Book: Stam . Robert. Raengo. Alessandra. A Companion to Literature and Film. Wiley-Blackwell. 2007. 347–349. 9781405177559.

Notes and References

1. Book: Lachèvre , Frédéric . Les Œuvres libertines de Cyrano de Bergerac, Parisien (1619–1655), précédées d'une notice biographique. Tome premier. 1921. Librarie Ancienne Honore Champion.